•fco- 


UCSB  LIBRARY 


The  Tone-line 


The  Tone -line 

Principles  of  Voice  Development 

By 
Albert  Baker  Cheney 


Published  by 

Albert  Baker  Cheney 

Emerson  College  of  Oratory 
Boston,  Mass. 


Copyright,  1896, 
By  Albert  Baker  Cheney. 


Nothjooti  $3rf ss 

J.  8.  Cnihing  &  Co.  —  Berwick  &  Smith 
Norwood  Mass.  U.S.A. 


Contents 

Page 

To  My  Pupils          .....       9 

The  First  Principle 1 1 

The  Development  of  the  Ideal  Tone    .  1 5 

Song  and  Noise         .          .          .          .          .18 

Breathing  and  the  Adjustment  of  the  Vocal 

Organs    ......      20 

The  Mental  and  the  Physical  Tone-line          .      24 
The  Tone-centre,  or  Germinal  Point    .          -33 
Tone-centres  and  Forms    .          .          .  35 

Quality  and  Definiteness  of  Tone          .          .      39 
Practice  in  the  Use  of  Syllables   .          .  41 

Order  of  Work         .          .          .          .          -45 

Catechism       ......     49 

Index    .......      59 

5 


The  Music  of  Nature 

The  song  of  Nature  is  forever, 
Her  joyous  voices  falter  never  j 
On  hill  and  valley,  near  and  far, 
Attendant  her  musicians  are. 

From  water  brook  or  forest  tree 
For  aye  comes  gentle  melody ; 
The  very  air  is  music  blent, 
A  universal  instrument. 

When  hushed  are  bird  and  brook  and  wind, 
Then  silence  will  some  measure  find, 
Still  sweeter ;  as  a  memory 
Is  sweeter  than  the  things  that  be. 

JOHN    VANCZ    CHENEY. 


"Art  is  the  perfection  of  nature." 

SIR  THOMAS  BROWNE. 

"  Education  is  that  which  introduces  man  to  his 
own  highest  powers,  and  thereby  makes  those 
powers  available." 

"  All  human  growth  depends  upon  concentrating 
the  mind  upon  the  right  objects  of  thought. ' ' 

CHARLES  WESLEY  EMERSON. 


The  Tone-line. 


To  My  Pupils. 

THE  best  teachers  of  the  human  voice,  the 
old  Italian  masters,  taught,  and  that  was  the 
end  of  their  work;  they  did  not  describe 
their  methods  of  teaching  in  writing.  Per- 
haps theirs  was  the  wiser  way ;  but  requests, 
coming  from  my  pupils,  are  so  many  and  so 
urgent,  I  have  at  last  decided  to  write  out  a 
few  things  they  have  heard  me  say  concern- 
ing the  art  of  singing,  concerning  the  pro- 
duction and  culture  of  the  voice.  The  voice 
cannot  be  taught  by  the  use  of  written  lan- 


io  The  Tone-line. 

guage ;  it  requires  the  presence  of  the  living 
teacher.  Hence  I  shall  do  all  that  I  count 
of  importance  when  I  commit  to  paper  a 
sufficient  number  of  observations  to  bring 
back  to  your  minds  the  many  others  heard  in 
connection  with  them.  It  is  far  from  my 
purpose  to  present  a  system  of  vocal  culture. 
You  will  not  look  for  that.  Indeed,  I  can 
hardly  hope  that  the  few  points  made  will  be 
clear  to  those  of  you  who  may  have  forgotten 
the  vocal  illustrations  given  when  we  were 
together.  However,  I  have  done  all  that  I 
have  either  the  time  or  the  inclination  to  do ; 
and  this  little  would  not  be  attempted  were  it 
not  for  your  singular  appreciation,  loyalty, 
and  enthusiasm.  I  cannot  refuse  all  com- 
pliance with  petitions  from  such  a  source. 


The  First  Principle.  1 1 


The  First  Principle. 

THE  First  Principle  to  be  established  in 
learning  to  sing  is,  that  the  mind  controls  the 
body.  Singing  is  a  physical  act,  and  before 
the  act,  must  be  the  mental  mandate.  The 
place  to  begin  is  at  the  beginning ;  our  first 
attention  should  be  directed  to  the  mind. 
Now,  the  mind  has  ever  one  object  in  view, 
—  the  truth.  In  learning  to  sing,  therefore, 
we  at  once  ally  ourselves  with  the  great  souls 
of  all  ages  ;  we  are  seekers  after  truth.  Such 
is  the  dignity,  the  worth,  of  tone  study  and 
tone  production;  and  on  no  smaller  terms 
can  we  hope  for  the  development  of  a  great 
singer. 

Too  much  stress  cannot  be  laid  on  the 
point  of  mental  attitude  and  control.  When 


12  The  Tone-line. 

^_ ——— ————— ^—^—_—_ ^_^____ 

we  are  conscious  of  a  mental  tone,  that  tone 
may  be  produced,  provided,  of  course,  there 
be  no  imperfection  in  the  nerves  leading  from 
the  brain  to  the  vocal  organs.  Nature  is  not 
to  be  taught  tricks.  She  has  her  own  way  of 
operating  the  diaphragm,  larynx,  and  other 
organs  for  the  production  of  musical  tones. 
Think  the  tone,  and  leave  the  rest  to  her. 
Make  sure  of  the  what,  and  the  how  will  take 
care  of  itself.  In  the  early  stages  of  in- 
struction, the  less  anatomy  the  better.  The 
forces  you  are  trying  to  control  are  hidden, 
intangible.  A  distinguished  observer,  who 
has  been  watching  the  larynxes  of  all  sorts 
^**^*  of  persons  for  twenty  years,  avows  himself 
unable  to  distinguish  the  larynx  of  a  great 
singer  from  the  larynx  of  one  that  cannot 
-  sing  the  simplest  psalm-tune.  The  larynx 
has  been  likened  to  nearly  every  musical  in- 
strument, from  the  JEolian  harp  to  the  torn- 


The  First  Principle.  13 

torn.  All  of  which  likening  inspires  fresh 
admiration  for  the  saying  of  a  cautious,  short- 
cut philosopher  on  the  dwelling-place  of  truth : 
"  The  truth  is  neither  here  nor  there ;  the 
truth  is  where  it  is." 

The  larynx  is  where  and  what  it  is.  You 
are  not  in  search  of  a  larynx  j  you  have  that 
already.  You  are  seeking  your  voice ;  one 
of  the  things  that  physical  science  cannot  lay 
hands  on.  Acoustics  can  tell  you  that  pitch 
is  determined  by  the  number  of  vibrations; 
that  strength  is  determined  by  the  amplitude 
of  the  vibrations ;  that  quality  is  determined 
by  the  form  of  the  vibrations.  Acoustics 
can  tell  you  this ;  but  it  cannot  tell  you  how 
to  produce  the  pitch,  the  strength,  and  the 
quality.  For  this  information  you  must  go 
to  your  own  mind  or  soul. 

No  two  souls  are  alike  ;  no  two  voices,  or 
reporters  of  the  soul,  are  alike.  Hence,  look 


14  The  Tone-line. 

to  the  development  of  individuality ;  to  the 
finding  of  the  individual  voice,  then  to  the 
development  of  it,  regardless  of  all  other 
voices  whatsoever.  Allow  no  imitation  of 
another  voice ;  no  singer  ever  sang  with  any 
voice  but  his  own. 

The  compass,  or  range,  of  the  voice  is  not 
the  all-important  thing ;  quality  comes  first, 
the  expression  of  personality.  Bend  the  en- 
ergies, first  of  all,  to  the  development  of  the 
ideal  tone,  of  the  tone  that  is  the  true  report 
of  the  soul,  the  one  particular  soul  seeking 
expression. 


Development  of  the  Ideal  Tone.  .  15 


The  Development  of  the  Ideal 
Tone. 

THE  Ideal  Tone,  the  tone  that  truly  re- 
ports a  given  mind  or  soul,  is  soonest  reached 
by  short  journeys;  and  the  pace  should  be 
measured  and  moderate.  The  entire  way 
must  be  carefully  travelled  and  made  familiar. 
A  pupil,  hurrying  for  an  ideal  tone,  is  certain 
to  miss  it.  Besides,  he  is  almost  certain  to 
overdo;  and  to  strain  the  mind  is  as  hurtful 
as  it  is  to  strain  the  body. 

We  all  belong  to  the  great  universal  sys- 
tem, and  whoever  discovers  a  truth,  gets  a 
reflection  from  the  source  of  all  truth.  The 
human  voice  is  one  string  of  the  great  Uni- 
versal Instrument  for  the  proclamation  of 
truth.  Earnest  and  intelligent  seekers  for 


1 6    .  The  Tone-line. 

truth,  holding  closely  to  universal  law,  live 
much  of  the  time  in  an  inspirational  atmos- 
phere ;  the  laws  of  being  work  freely  through 
them.  Let  the  pupil,  therefore,  at  the  outset, 
square  himself  by  the  laws  of  nature;  that  is, 
by  the  laws  of  the  Central  Mind.  This  is  the 
straight  way  to  the  right  mental  atmosphere 
and  to  the  attainment  of  art. 

Squaring  one's  self  by  the  laws  of  nature 
is  a  process  not  so  much  of  reasoning  as  of 
feeling.  We  hear  a  great  deal  about  intel- 
lectual science ;  we  hear  altogether  too  little 
about  emotional  science.  What  George  Eliot 
makes  one  of  her  characters  say  of  conduct, 
is  equally  true  of  singing :  "  It  isn't  notions 
sets  people  doing  the  right  thing  ;  it's  feel- 
ings." The  mind's  highest  possessions  are 
not  results  of  the  reasoning  power;  they  are 
results  of  the  emotional  nature,  the  feelings. 
Strong  inspirational  power  is,  of  course, 


Development  of  the  Ideal  Tone.     17 

inconstant;  but  every  now  and  then  come 
the  spiritual,  the  divine,  flashes.  Then  is 
the  hour  of  mental  growth,  of  mind  and 
spirit  expansion.  Nature  is  always  trying  to 
tell  us  something.  Do  not  wait  for  people ; 
listen  to  nature,  —  silently  listen  with  the 
whole  mind. 


1 8  The  Tone-line. 


Song  and  Noise. 

THE  wide-spread  feeling  abroad,  to-day, 
that  there  must  be  a  radical  change  in  the 
art  of  song,  has  come  none  too  soon.  Vocal 
training  throughout  the  world  has  been  mainly 
conducted  on  a  physical  basis ;  the  result  be- 
ing rather  meaningless  feats  of  the  vocal 
organs  than  true  song.  True  song  is  mind 
and  heart  revealed  through  tone.  Tone  is  of 
mental  and  emotional  origin ;  and  to  reach 
it  we  must  go  behind  physical  science.  A 
voice  is  not  like  a  piano.  You  cannot  buy 
it;  your  voice  is  you. 

Real  singing  is  the  spirit  of  the  singer 
floating  in  vocalized  air.  To  this  voice  all 
hearts  and  minds  listen;  the  spirits  of  the 
singer  and  of  the  listener  meet.  People  that 


Song  and  Noise.  19 

really  think  and  feel,  get  nothing  from  the 
meaningless  noise  so  commonly  substituted 
for  song.  The  substitute  is  not  the  result 
of  mental  and  spiritual  growth ;  it  is,  on  the 
other  hand,  evidence  of  mental  and  spiritual 
interruption  and  stagnation.  The  tendency 
of  many  vocal  methods  is  to  limit  the  action 
of  both  mind  and  body;  and  to  do  this  is  to 
induce,  not  only  failure,  but  disease.  For 
the  development  of  the  musical  voice  we 
must  look  to  nature  through  tone  feeling. 


2O  The  Tone-line. 

Breathing  and  the  Adjustment 
of  the  Vocal  Organs. 

THERE  is  a  world  of  air  forever  present. 
If  air  is  not  shut  out,  there  is  a  constant 
supply,  equal  to  the  demand.  Air  rushes  for 
a  vacuum;  and,  since  the  body  serves  the 
mind,  you  need  simply  to  think  vacuum, 
when  air  will  respond  according  to  the  vivid- 
ness of  the  mental  picture.  Practice  soon 
establishes  the  habit  of  right  breathing  for 
the  purpose  of  song. 

Much  has  been  said  about  relaxing  the 
muscles  in  breathing.  Attain  the  concept  of 
freedom,  and  the  relaxing  will  take  care  of 
itself.  The  relaxing,  or  "decomposing,"- now 
much  in  vogue,  is  a  phenomenon  of  death. 
There  is  a  vast  difference  between  death  and 


Adjustment  of  the  Focal  Organs.     21 

living  rest.  We  turn  away  from  death,  while 
the  quiet  of  sleep  is  pleasant  to  look  upon ; 
life  appears  to  be  coming  in,  not  going  out, 
nor  gone.  Fix  the  thought,  not  on  death 
and  decay,  but  on  life  and  growth.  If  you 
would  breathe  freely,  attain  the  concept  of 
freedom.  Think,  for  example,  that  all  the 
air  in  the  room  is  yours;  that  you  have  but 
to  open  to  it,  and  your  lungs  will  be  filled. 
Ask  a  child  to  pick  up  a  pin,  or  a  brick,  and 
his  fingers  will  open  and  act  according  to  the 
size,  shape,  and  weight  of  the  pin  or  the  brick. 
Precisely  so  the  respiratory  organs  work  in  the 
reception  of  air. 

Should  we  breathe  through  the  mouth?  is 
a  question  often  asked.  As  a  rule,  no.  When 
the  moment  for  the  exception  comes,  you 
will  respond  to  the  extra  demand.  Nature  is 
never  without  a  reserve. 

The  singer  breathes,  not  for  life  simply, 


22  The  Tone-line. 

but  for  life  and  song.  The  breath  for  song 
is  something  more  than  our  ordinary  breath ; 
hence  the  good  old  counsel  to  "  breathe  nat- 
urally "  is  of  little  help.  To  be  sure,  the 
breath  must  be  natural ;  but  natural  for  the 
particular  purpose. 

In  training  the  voice,  the  mind  should  be 
fixed  on  the  tone;  not  on  any  muscular 
action  that  may  be  imagined  to  cause  it. 
Thinking  of  the  lungs,  the  larynx,  the  apple, 
never  yet  made  a  singer;  and  it  never  will 
make  one.  Think  of  the  thing  sought,  not 
of  the  troubles  to  be  overcome.  The  human 
voice  should  be  trained  as  a  human  voice, 
with  right  mind  behind  every  utterance. 
Mind  should  direct,  step  by  step,  the  physi- 
cal adjustment ;  and  the  physical-adjustment 
drill  should  be  continued  till  the  mental  and 
physical  forces  are  a  unit  in  sympathy  and 
power.  It  is  a  waste  of  time  to  inquire  too 


Adjustment  of  the  Vocal  Organs.     23 

closely  into  the  secret  of  this  unity.  The 
unity  is  enough  without  the  secret.  Jenny 
Lind's  voice  reported  her  mind,  or  soul. 
That  we  know;  but  just  how  the  report  was 
made  we  do  not  know,  and  perhaps  we  shall 
never  know.  A  perfect  adjustment  of  the 
vocal  organs  once  established,  there  is  a  coa- 
lescence of  all  the  forces  requisite  for  the  ex- 
pression of  the  mind's  voice,  or  of  mind  in 
tone.  Under  the  training  of  the  human 
voice  as  a  human  voice,  the  lines  of  inspira- 
tion grow  sharper,  the  thinking  power  in- 
creases, and  the  physical  organs  that  directly 
or  indirectly  produce  the  voice,  develop 
strength  and  obedience. 


24  The  Tone-line. 

The  Mental  and  the  Physical 
Tone-line. 


To  give  a  name  to  nature's  way  over 
which  the  voice  travels,  I  call  it  the  Physical 
Tone-line;  and  since  the  voice  is  developed 
by  means  of  mental  concepts,  I  speak  of  a 
mental  tone-line  corresponding  to  the  physi- 
cal tone-line.  The  tones  of  the  physical 
line  grade  in  size  and  quality  from  the  large 
or  dark  tones,  having  their  resonance  in  the 
trachea,  to  the  small  or  bright  tones,  having 
their  resonance  in  the  anterior  nares.  While 
each  tone  of  the  line  has  its  own  resonance- 
centre,  its  own  pitch  and  quality,  there  is  no 
point  where  one  quality  ends  and  another 
begins.  There  is  no  "  break  "  in  this  line  ; 
it  is  a  continuous  stream  of  free  tone.  The 


Mental  and  Physical  Tone-line.       25 

Mental  Tone-line  is  an  imaginary  line,  curv- 
ing from  the  mouth  outward  and  downward, 
corresponding  to  the  course  of  the  physical 
tone-line.  The  special  service  of  the  mental 
line  is  to  fix  in  the  mind  the  concept  of  the 
curve.  The  curve  concept,  with  its  mental 
tone-centre,  is  of  the  highest  importance  in 
securing  definiteness  of  pitch  and  free  quality 
evenly  distributed  through  the  compass.  The 
physical  tone-line  is  one  of  nature's  lines. 
Think  of  it  as  made  up  of  tone-centres,  or 
points  of  resonance,  which  form  a  continuous 
path  from  the  trachea  to  the  anterior  nares. 

The  nares,  or  home  of  the  overtones, 
is  the  highest  chamber  of  resonance.  We 
term  it  the  controlling  centre  of  the  voice, 
because,  in  freely  taking  the  life  tone  which 
resounds  in  this  chamber,  all  the  chambers 
below  must  be  unobstructed,  else  the  tone 
in  the  nares  cannot  be  pure  and  free. 


26  The  Tone-line. 

Pitch  must  always  be  associated  with  tone 
quality,  or  all  sense  of  proportion  in  the  tone- 
line  will  be  lost.  However  much  we  may 
sing  at  a  tone,  it  cannot  be  sung,  without  the 
true  pitch-quality.  This  it  is  that  distin- 
guishes, yes,  begets  it.  Pitch  is  true  form 
and  quality  developed  through  truefeeling. 
Difference  of  quality  in  pitch  is  more  easily 
recognized  when  the  tones  are  two  octaves 
apart  than  when  they  are  but  one  degree 
apart ;  but  the  difference  is  always  there. 

In  developing  the  physical  tone-line,  the 
first  practice  should  be  from  the  smaller  to 
the  larger,  from  the  light  to  the  dark,  tones. 
This  practice  lessens  the  tendency  toward 
pushing  and  contracting.  The  pupil  has  a 
sense  of  dropping  to  the  tone  instead  of 
pushing  up  to  it.  In  due  time  the  practice 
may  be  reversed ;  the  drill  may  be  from  the 
larger  to  the  smaller  tones.  The  association 


Mental  and  Physical  Tone-line.       27 

of  the  words  "  high,"  "  up,"  with  the  smaller 
and  brighter  tones,  is  a  stumbling-block  in 
the  way  of  the  singer.  Never  think  up. 
Think  down ;  the  higher  the  pitch  rises, 
drop  the  thought  the  lower  on  the  mental 
tone-line. 

The  mental  tone-centres  are  secured  by 
means  of  mental  curves.  The  curves  turn 
from  the  central  point  of  the  upper  lip  down 
and  in,  to  a  given  point.  As  the  pitch  rises, 
the  curves  grow  longer.  To  give  the  idea  of 
the  curves,  mark  them  out  in  the  air  with  the 
finger. 

The  curve  concept  acts  directly  on  the 
organs  of  articulation,  shaping  the  vowel 
formation,  and  connecting  it  with  the  tone- 
centre  that  frees  the  voice  at  the  pitch  re- 
quired. The  curve  concept,  fastening  the 
tone-centre,  causes  the  chin  to  drop  and  the 
under  jaw  to  recede ;  which  action  loosens 


28  The  Tone-line. 

the  throat  and  secures  the  requisite  adjust- 
ment of  the  tone-producing  organs.  The 
predominating  thought  should  be,  drop  lower 
and  lower  on  the  mental  line  as  the  pitch 
rises.  This  practice  is  excellent  discipline 
for  the  mind  as  well  as  for  the  vocal  organs. 
It  sets  up  a  standard  for  the  measurement  of 
intervals,  near  or  remote,  and  results  in  a 
right  and  ready  method  of  taking  them. 

Nature  has  carried  out  the  gradation  of 
voice  in  mankind  collectively  much  as  she 
has  in  the  individual.  The  graded  tones, 
from  the  heaviest  bass  to  the  finest  soprano, 
form,  so  to  speak,  the  tone-line  of  the  human 
family.  On  the  central  portion  of  the  tone- 
line  (the  portion  most  effective  for  expression) 
falls  the  heavy  labor.  The  strain  comes  on 
the  centre  of  a  tree,  not  on  the  small  branches. 
Nature  shields  the  extreme  points. 

Experienced  singers  have  trouble,  often,  in 


Mental  and  Physical  Tone-line.      29 

getting  tones  when  dropping  from  a  high  to  a 
low  pitch,  and  the  same  trouble  in  going 
from  a  low  to  a  high  pitch.  There  is  no 
trouble  when  the  singer  knows  what  at- 
mosphere to  place  himself  in,  or,  in  other 
words,  when  he  knows  the  quality  of  tone 
belonging  to  the  pitch.  If  the  singer's  art 
foundation  has  been  laid  in  obedience  to  uni- 
versal principles,  he  will  produce  the  true 
pitch  regardless  of  long  intervals.  It  is  a 
relief  to  go  from  one  extreme  of  the  compass 
to  the  other;  as  much  a  relief  as  it  is  to 
change  hands  in  carrying  a  heavy  weight. 

The  majority  of  singers,  when  taking  the 
small  tones,  the  tones  of  high  resonance,  in- 
crease the  power;  the  singing  is  loud.  In 
this  they  follow  the  rule  laid  down  by  many 
vocal  teachers,  —  Practise  crescendo  up  the 
scale,  diminuendo  down.  Nature's  rule  is 
the  exact  reverse.  If  it  must  be  either  cres- 


30  The  Tone-line. 

cendo  or  diminuendo  (why  the  necessity  ?), 
the  diminuendo  should  be  used  in  the  ascent. 
The  tendency  of  crescendo  practice  in  as- 
cending is  to  carry  up  wrong  quality ;  and 
then  it  is  that  the  trouble  begins.  The  swell 
is  not  fundamental ;  it  is  ornamental,  and 
should  be  left  for  advanced  work.  The  fact 
is,  that  until  the  voice  is  centred,  there  is 
really  nothing  to  swell.  The  singer  that  has 
to  sing  loud  in  order  to  hold  a  tone  at  the 
extremes  of  the  compass  is  singing  with  a 
wrong  support.  There  comes  a  point  of 
altitude  when  he  finds  that  he  must  sing  a 
small  light  tone  or  not  sing  at  all.  He  does 
not  take  this  broad  hint  from  nature;  but 
simply  finds  that  the  small  light  tone  does 
not  connect  with  the  tones  preceding.  He 
concludes,  therefore,  that  the  small  line  of 
resonance  has  been  well  named ;  it  is  "  fal- 
setto" in  the  primary  sense  of  the  term, — 


Mental  and  Physical  Tone-line.      31 

is,  in  strict  fact,  false.  So  the  singer  settles 
the  matter;  nature,  on  the  contrary,  says 
that  the  small  tones  are  the  only  true  tones 
that  he  has  made,  and  that  he  would  have 
ruined  those  could  he  have  had  his  own  way. 
The  tones  rightfully  styled  "  false  "  are  not 
among  the  uppermost  tones,  which  are  out 
of  harm's  way ;  but  among  the  tones  below 
them,  where  the  singer  is  more  at  liberty  to 
do  as  he  will. 

The  present  plan  of  work  rids  us  at  once 
of  the  "  register  "  and  the  "  break  "  perplexi- 
ties. The  mind,  be  it  repeated,  controls  the 
body.  The  mental  line,  if  right,  insures  the 
right  production  of  every  tone  of  the  voice. 
The  mental  tone  comes  first,  then  the  physi- 
cal tone.  Concentrate  the  mind  upon  the 
tone  you  are  to  make.  The  mental  tone  is 
the  tone  to  strive  for;  the  only  tone  that 
commands  and  attests  perfect  physical  action, 


32  The  Tone-line. 

the   only  tone   that   carries  welcome   intelli- 
gence, that  gives  genuine  pleasure. 

The  physical  tone-line  might  be  styled  the 
human  tone-barometer,  in  which  the  mental 
atmosphere  causes  changes  of  resonance  high 
and  low.  For  example,  the  thought  being 
placed  in  a  light,  high  atmosphere,  the  tone 
mounts,  in  the  wake  of  the  thought,  to  the 
high  atmosphere  where  the  pitch  lives.  Illus- 
trations should  be  continued  till  the  mental 
quality-atmosphere,  is  found  to  be  something 
more  than  a  mere  fancy,  —  a  fact. 


Tone-centre  or  Germinal  Point.     33 

The    Tone-centre    or    Germinal 
Point. 


THERE  must  be  a  centre  of  power,  a 
germinal  point  of  growth.  When  the  tone- 
centre,  or  germinal  point  of  tone,  is  reached, 
the  Life  Chamber  opens,  and  beautiful  sound 
issues  from  it.  The  singer,  hearing  it,  is  as- 
sured that  he  is  in  the  right  way  to  give  fit 
utterance  to  the  beauty  in  his  mind  and 
heart.  Inarticulate  sound  is  the  first  practice 
for  the  germinal  points.  When  they  have 
been  gained  within  a  limited  number  of 
pitches  in  the  middle  compass,  the  practice 
may  proceed  to  articulated  forms,  which 
bring  the  mouth  open  and  the  molded  tone 
out.  The  germinal  point  is  the  physical 
source  of  tone.  When  it  is  retained,  wide 


34  The  Tone-line. 

vibration,  or  resonance,  results.  Under  proper 
direction,  the  pupil  increases  the  power  of 
vibration  till  an  adjustment  of  the  muscles 
is  attained ;  then  the  systematic  development 
of  resonance  begins. 


Tone-centres  and  Forms.          35 


Tone-centres  and  Forms. 

As  the  rose  unfolds  from  the  bud,  and 
opens  outward,  so  the  tones  of  the  human 
voice  develop  and  radiate  from  the  tone- 
centres.  After  one  and  the  same  method 
nature  develops  the  rose  of  June  and  the 
melodies  of  the  human  voice. 

The  tone-centres  and  articulated  forms 
being  established,  and  united  in  action,  we 
have  a  working-basis  for  the  development  of 
the  voice,  —  for  the  habitual  production  of 
tone  that  is  not  frictional  and  injurious,  that 
is  not  noise,  but  music. 

Tone  formation  is  a  fitting-process  of  the 
muscles ;  it  brings  the  throat  to  right  shapes 
and  sizes,  allowing  no  unvocalized  air  to 
escape.  The  throat  is  air  tight;  there  is 


36  The  Tone-line. 

perfect  economy  in  the  use  of  air.  Right 
tone-form  frees  and  controls  the  utterance; 
it  develops  the  human  voice.  I  repeat,  the 
right  mental  concept  will  always  cause  the 
right  physical  action  for  developing  musical 
tone,  provided  there  be  no  imperfection  in 
the  nerves  leading  from  the  brain  to  the  vocal 
organs.  On  the  other  hand,  if  the  mind  is 
all  the  while  dwelling  on  the  muscles,  what 
becomes  of  the  message  ? 

The  tone-centre  determines  the  size  or 
limit  of  the  tone-form.  On  first  centring 
the  voice,  the  average  pupil  will  be  dissatis- 
fied; the  tones  will  seem  too  small.  Let 
him  take  courage.  Nature  will  develop  his 
voice ;  moreover,  will  individualize  each  tone 
of  it.  The  illustration  that  I  have  found  of 
most  use  in  establishing  the  tone-centres,  is 
that  of  an  old-fashioned  powder-horn,  the 
point  of  which  is  turned  below  the  mouth, 


Tone-centres  and  Forms.          37 

curved  inward.  Generally  the  vowel  E 
should  be  first  used  in  teaching,  being 
taken  in  connection  with  the  consonants 
M  or  N. 

The  sound  of  A  as  in  "  ah "  is  the  last 
vowel  sound  to  be  used ;  it  leaves  too  much 
room  for  the  inexperienced.  You  can  find 
the  centre  of  a  penny  easier  than  you  can  the 
centre  of  a  room.  The  larger  the  vowel 
sound,  the  more  difficult  it  is  to  get  the  tone- 
centre.  The  tone-centres  should  be  estab- 
lished before  the  pupil  is  allowed  free  use 
of  A  as  in  "  ah."  This  vowel  sound,  prac- 
tised, as  it  commonly  is,  without  tone-centre, 
admits  of  the  most  noise;  hence  its  popu- 
larity. 

There  is  no  getting  away  from  the  fact 
that  the  singer  must  have  pattern,  or  model, 
tones.  The  test  of  the  model  tones  is  double, 
—  the  approving  mental  impression  and  the 


38  The  Tone-line. 

corresponding  physical  sensation.  By  this 
test,  a  standard  can  be  set  up.  Without  it, 
whatever  be  the  syllabic  combination  em- 
ployed, all  is  guess-work,  and  progress  is  out 
of  the  question. 


Quality  and  Definiteness  of  Tone.    39 


Quality  and  Definiteness  of  Tone. 

QUALITY  follows  form.  If  the  form  be 
good,  the  quality  is  good ;  if  the  form  be 
bad,  the  quality  is  bad.  Quality  and  form 
are  associated  in  nature  everywhere.  When 
a  stick  of  timber  decays,  the  form  changes ; 
it  changes  with  the  fading  leaf.  As  the 
muscles  grow  old  they  lose  their  beauty  of 
form.  Quality,  grace,  and  lasting  power  are 
inseparable.  The  musical  quality  of  tone  is 
noticed  more  and  more  as  the  tone  grows  in 
power.  At  first  the  power  is  irregular  and 
unsatisfactory ;  the  tone  cannot  wholly  free 
itself.  Mental  pictures  and  illustrations 
should  be  employed  until  the  throat  is  free, 
and  the  tone  rests  on  the  tone-centre,  or 
germinal  point.  A  true  tone  is  a  definite 


40  The  Tone-line. 

tone.  The  more  indefinite  the  tone,  the 
more  confusing  is  the  pitch;  it  holds  to  the 
mouth  and  bewilders  the  ear.  The  singer 
that  flats  or  sharps  may  have  a  good  ear; 
but  he  has  not  the  concept  of  the  what  to 
sing. 


Practice  in  the   Use  of  Syllables.     41 


Practice  in  the  Use  of  Syllables. 

PUPILS  often  ask  if  "  ah,"  «  sea,"  "  po," 
"  coo,"  and  other  pet  syllables,  are  not  excel- 
lent for  practice.  It  all  depends  on  the 
pupil's  understanding  the  sound-form  of  the 
syllable  in  question.  Any  sound-form  that 
has  its  own  resonance  centre  is  right;  any 
sound-form  that  has  not  its  own  resonance 
centre  is  wrong.  The  sound-forms  should 
be  adapted  to  the  requirements  of  the  pupil. 
Do  as  your  physician  does ;  apply  your 
medicine  according  to  the  person  and  the 
disease.  It  is  pupil,  then  remedy ;  not 
remedy,  then  pupil. 

Too  much  is  made  of  the  phrase  "  round- 
ness of  tone."  The  "  round  and  full  tone," 
so-called,  is  often  falsely  smooth,  and  detri- 


42  The  Tone-line. 

mental  to  voice  development.  Use  should 
be  made  of  the  concept  of  the  spherical  tri- 
angle as  well  as  of  the  circle.  Thought 
fixed  on  the  spherical  triangle  is  often  of 
great  service  in  realizing  definiteness  of 
form.  The  tone  with  true  resonance  is  the 
right  tone,  be  it  round  or  square.  It  is 
not  only  pleasing,  but  easy  of  production. 
A  tone  made  without  effort  begets  confidence 
in  the  singer.  He  has  a  sense  of  full  physi- 
cal power;  he  is  driving  tacks  with  a  sledge. 
The  reverse  of  this  is  the  common  experi- 
ence of  singers ;  they  feel,  and  make  us  feel, 
that  they  are  driving  spikes  with  a  tack- 
hammer. 

All  obstacles  must  be  removed,  all  friction 
must  disappear;  the  entire  body  must  be  free. 
This  is  of  the  highest  importance  to  orator 
and  singer  alike.  Free  singing  and  free  talk- 
ing should  be  developed  together;  the  one 


Practice  in  the  Use  of  Syllables.     43 

helps  the  other.  The  false  tones  of  the 
orator  are  less  perceptible  than  those  of  the 
singer ;  but  this  is  no  excuse  for  using  them. 
The  orator,  equally  with  the  singer,  must  use 
the  truth  tones  if  he  would  express  the  truth. 
The  grinding  roar,  and  the  saliva  rattle,  af- 
fected by  so  many  actors  and  elocutionists,  do 
not  win  and  convince;  they  repel  and  dis- 
gust. The  singing-tone  seems  more  beau- 
tiful than  the  speaking-tone;  largely  for  the 
reason  that  the  singing-tone,  longer  sus- 
tained, sinks  deeper  into  the  feelings.  Tone 
language  is  born  with  us ;  it  is  the  back- 
ground of  word  language.  The  prolonged, 
or  singing-tone,  comes  first.  The  singing- 
tone  is  held  long  enough  for  a  definite  men- 
tal impression  and  the  corresponding  physical 
sensation ;  hence  it  is  fundamental  in  voice 
drill.  The  talking-voice  is,  so  to  speak,  the 
singing-voice  broken  up.  Think  of  the 


44  The  Tone-line. 

centred  singing-tone  as  a  whole;  think  of 
the  talking-tones  as  parts  of  it.  The  stu- 
dent, as  he  passes  from  singing  to  chanting, 
from  chanting  to  talking,  quickly  perceives 
the  value  and  importance  of  the  tone-centre. 
Words  are  the  language  of  the  intellect; 
tone  is  the  language  of  the  soul.  We  have 
as  many  qualities  of  tone  as  of  feeling,  else 
our  tones  would  not  voice  our  feelings. 
Human  tone  has  its  colors  and  its  forms. 
All  our  uttered  thoughts  have  to  pass 
through  tone-forms;  the  mental  and  spirit- 
ual qualities  are  felt  and  heard  according  to 
the  degree  of  perfection  in  form.  As  the 
physical  organs  develop  under  right  mental 
training,  they  respond  to  more  subtle  con- 
trol, effecting,  at  last,  that  rare  result,  the 
artistic  expression  of  personality. 


Order    of  Work, 


Order  of  Work. 

Mental  Preparation  for  Voice  and  Breathing. 

Attention. 
Interest. 
Desire. 
Attitude. 

Breathing  and  Voice  developed  together. 
Unvocalized  Air  Necessary  to  Vocalized  Air. 

Life  Chamber.  Breathing. 

Life.  Vacuum. 

Clarification.  Reception. 

Weight.  Expansion. 

Centre  and  Form.  Air-centre. 
46 


Order  of  Work.  47 

Articulated  Tone. 

Resonance  of  Articulated  Tone. 
Centre  of  Articulated  Tone. 
Form  of  Articulated  Tone. 
Quality  of  Articulated  Tone. 

Tone-line :   Physical  and  Mental. 

Relation  of  Quality  to  Pitch. 
Relation  of  Sensibility  to  Quality. 
Graded  Tone-quality. 
Unified  Tone-qualities. 


Catechism. 


Catechism. 


What  is  the  main  concept  in  the  produc- 
tion of  musical  tone  ? 
The  mental  tone-line. 

What  is  the  mental  tone-line  ? 

An  imaginary  line,  curving  from  the  mouth 
outward  and  downward,  corresponding  to 
and  controlling  the  physical  tone-line. 

Of  what  is  the  mental  tone-line  com- 
posed ? 

Of  mental  tone-points,  or  tone-centres. 

What  do  we  think  in  getting  a  mental 
tone-centre  ? 

A  downward  curved  line. 

Why? 


52  The  Tone-line. 

To  secure  the  muscular  adjustment  that 
gives  the  corresponding  physical  tone-centre. 

What  is  the  course  of  the  mental  curve 
when  the  voice  passes  from  a  lower  to  a 
higher  resonance  ? 

It  lengthens  downward. 

What  is  the  course  of  the  mental  curve 
when  the  voice  passes  from  a  higher  to  a 
lower  resonance  ? 

It  shortens  downward. 

Does  the  mental  curve  directly  affect  the 
organs  of  articulation  ? 
Yes. 

Why  are  the  organs  of  articulation  af- 
fected by  the  mental  curve  ? 

Because  the  curve  is  the  mental  action 
that  controls  the  muscles  in  the  formation  of 
tone. 


Catechism.  53 

Why  is  the  mental  tone-line  the  main 
concept  ? 

Because  it  controls  the  physical  tone-line. 

What  is  the  physical  tone-line? 

Nature's  way  over  which  the  voice  travels. 
It  is  a  graded  line  of  physical  action  which 
gives  the  shade  and  size  of  tone  belonging 
to  the  pitch,  from  the  large  and  dark  tones, 
which  find  their  resonance  in  the  trachea,  to 
the  small  and  bright  tones  which  find  their 
resonance  in  the  anterior  nares. 

What  is  the  life  chamber  of  the  voice  ? 
The  highest  chamber  of  resonance. 

What  is  the  special  function  of  this 
chamber  ? 

It  frees  all  the  other  chambers  of  resonance. 

Why  free  the  resonance  chambers  ? 
To  develop  the  germinal  points. 


54  The  Tone-line. 

What  is  a  germinal  point  of  tone  ? 
A   centre  of   developed    resonance,  or  a 
tone-centre. 

What  is  the  position  of  the  lips  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  germinal  point  or  tone- 
centre  ? 

Closed. 

What  mental  aid  should  accompany  this 
development  ? 

Forms  that  appeal  to  the  mind's  eye. 

What  is  the  true  articulated  form  ? 
A    perfected  outlet   for  the  voice  of  in- 
telligence. 

How  is  the  perfect  outlet  for  the  voice 
secured  ? 

Through  a  series  of  imaginary  curves, 
care  being  taken  to  retain  the  germinal 
point. 


Catechism.  5  5 

What  name  is  given  the  germinal  point 
of  articulated  tone  ? 

The  articulated  tone-centre. 

Of  what  are  articulated  tones  composed  ? 

Of  vowels  and  consonants  in  all  their  com- 
binations. 

What  is  the  office  of  the  articulated  tone- 
centres  ? 

They  free  the  vocal  organs  from  friction, 
and  bring  them  into  unity  with  thought  and 
emotion  for  the  production  of  musical,  living 
tone. 

What  forms  and  maintains  the  articulated 
tone-centres  ? 

Physical  drill  directed  by  right  mental 
concepts. 

What  name  is  given  the  condition  of  mind 
that  controls  quality  and  pitch  ? 
Quality-atmosphere. 


56  The  Tone-line. 

What  is  the  test  of  vowel  form  ? 
Centred  tone. 

What  is  the  physical  result  of  perfectly 
related  quality  and  pitch  ? 

Freedom  and  precision  of  muscular  action. 

What  is  the  physical  result  of  imperfectly 
related  quality  and  pitch  ? 

Frictional  and  conflicting  muscular  action. 

Into  what  two  great  classes  may  vocalists 
be  divided  ? 

Into  singers  and  noisers. 

What  saith  the  soul  to  the  singer  ? 

"You  are  to  me  as  the  light  is  to  the 
morning;  you  shed  me  abroad  in  all  my 
splendor." 

What  saith  the  soul  to  the  noiser  ? 
"You  deceive  yourself,  but  not  the  people. 
They  know  that  my  secret  is  not  to  be  found 


Catechism.  57 

in  a  mechanical  philosophy ;  that  my  tones 
are  not  to  be  caught  by  means  of  claptrap, 
nor  by  OTWJc/^-trap." 

How  may  an  ideal  tone  differ  from  an  ideal 
of  a  tone? 

The  ideal  tone  is  the  perfect  tone.  The 
ideal  of  a  tone  is  the  best  conception  of  a 
tone  that  one  may  have,  whether  it  be  right 
or  wrong. 


Index. 


Acoustics,  13. 

"Ah"  and  tone-centre,  37. 

Articulated  form,  33,  54. 

"Break,"  The,  31. 

Breathing,  20. 

Crescendo,  29. 

Curve  concept,  25,  27,  52. 

Definiteness  and  quality,  39. 

Diaphragm,  12. 

Diminuendo,  29. 

"  E  "  for  first  practice,  37. 

Eliot,  George,  16. 

Emotional  science,  16. 

Falsetto,  30. 

First  principle,  The,  II. 

Germinal    point,     The,    33, 

54,  55- 

Ideal  tone,  The,  15,  57. 
Inarticulate  sound,  33. 
Individual  voice,  The,  14. 


Larynx,  12. 

Life  chamber,  33,  53. 

Lind,  Jenny,  43. 

Lips,  Position  of,  54. . 

"M"  with  vowel  "E,"  37. 

Mental  aids,  39,  54. 

Mental  attitude  and    control, 

II. 

Mental  curve,  25,  27,  51. 
Mental  tone,  12,  31. 
Mental    tone-line,    28,    31, 

5i>  53- 

Mental  tone-centres,  27,  51. 
Mind  controls,  1 1 . 
Muscles,  Relaxing  of,  20. 
Musical  tone,  how  developed, 

36. 

Nares,  The,  25. 
Pitch,  13,  26,  29,  33. 
Quality-atmosphere,  55. 


59 


6o 


The  Tone-line. 


"  Registers,"  31. 
Resonance,    Development  of, 

34- 

Points  of,  25. 
Singing  and  talking,  42. 
Singing-tone,  43. 
Song,  Art  of,  1 8. 
Speaking-tone,  43. 
Syllables  for  practice,  41. 
Talking-voice,  43. 
Tone,  Definiteness  of,  39. 

Germinal  point  of,  33. 

Graded,  28. 

Ideal,  15. 

Language  of  the  soul,  44. 

Origin  of,  18. 

Quality  and  form  of,  39. 


Tone,  Roundness  of,  41. 

True,  39. 
Tone-centre,  25,  27,  33,  35, 

36,  39.  44- 
Vowel  "  A  "  and,  37. 
Vowel  "E"  and,  37. 

Tone-form,  36. 

Tone-line,  Mental,  24,  53. 
Physical,  24,  25,  26,  32, 

S3- 
Vocal  methods,  Tendency  of, 

19. 

Voice,  Compass  of,  14. 
The  individual,  14. 
Musical,  19. 
Vowel  formation,  27,  56. 


CSB  LIBRARY 


UC, 

X- 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A     000  61 1  060     5 


